All Blog Entries by Sam Smith

Being a local Laguna Beach Real Estate Agent gives you the ability to help you clients navigate the sometimes difficult Laguna Beach Real Estate market.  Our goal is to provide professional representation for all Laguna Beach homes.

Found 433 blog entries published by Sam Smith.

Jun 22

1,294 Views, 0 Comments

What a difference a year makes when it comes to vacation rentals.  In 2020, we saw a huge demand for those looking for vacation rental properties in Laguna Beach that often found multiple clients bidding against each other and driving up the prices for specific vacation summer months.  At that time it seemed like everyone was tired of staying in their home and with travel limited through the United States many turned to vacation within their own state, often choosing a beach front home where they could stay in a luxury residence during the pandemic.  Fast forward to 2021 where a lot of Americans have been vaccinated and feel more comfortable traveling the demand to find local vacation rental properties has dropped.  It's really a night and day difference

May 25

9,571 Views, 0 Comments

There is nothing more exciting then looking at new construction homes that often feature some the latest design ideas and technology that are incorporated into these new homes.  A new listing has come up in the Three Arch Bay 24 hour guard gated community that seems to have it all and was newly built in the year 2021.  The location it truly amazing as it offers a premier ocean front location in Three Arch Bay at the top of a bluff front that has amazing white water ocean views.  If you are familiar with architects here in Laguna Beach then you will know the famous architect Mark Singer who designed this home.  Mark is well known for his cutting edge Contemporary designs that can be found in many homes throughout Laguna Beach and beyond.  His designed

Apr 21

1,095 Views, 0 Comments

The Laguna Beach market has really changed in the last 12 months with it being one of the hottest real estate markets as seen in the last 10 years.  There is currently a huge shortage of real estate inventory and a strong buyer demand which typically results in higher real estate prices with multiple buyers bidding on the same property.  The condo market in Laguna Beach is no exception to this with currently only 13 condos listed for sale that range from $664,900 for a two bedroom condo in the Terraces community up to $7,499,000 for a three bedroom condo in the upscale Montage Beach Villas community.  If you are new to Laguna Beach there are a couple things to consider when buying a condo here.

First, the most affordable condos are often found in the

Mar 30

968 Views, 0 Comments

Laguna Beach is arguably one of the most desirable and beautiful places to live in Southern California and real estate prices reflect this.  For the most part Laguna Beach is filled with Muti-million dollar homes and residential condos that often overlook the Pacific Ocean.  There is a small section of Laguna Beach where you can find more affordable housing in the means of a manufactured home.  Directly across the street from the famous Montage Resort is a community called Laguna Terrace Park.  Here you will find manufactured homes that have one of the better locations in all of Laguna Beach with a short walking distance down to the beach and with local shopping and grocery stores located nearby.  Amenities include a heated pool, clubhouse, jacuzzi and

Feb 27

1,469 Views, 0 Comments

Emerald Bay has always been synonymous with luxury real estate here in Laguna Beach is some truly amazing ocean front and view properties.  For the longest time many of the homes were only offered as long term leases but with the high demand for those looking for vacation rental home especially during the high season summer months you are starting to see more short term rentals in Emerald Bay.  One of the biggest reasons started last year with COVID caused many in California and throughout the United States to limited travel internationally.  This caused a huge demand for vacation rental homes located near the beach with Laguna Beach as an already popular tourist destination.  2020 was one of the best years for owners who were able to rent out their home

Jan 20

958 Views, 0 Comments

Laguna Beach has a wide range of properties that offer a variety of selling points which often include being located near the beach, offering an ocean view or offering a certain number of bedrooms and square feet.  The one thing you can't change about a home is it's location and this is especially true for where the lot sits within the community. Homes located on a corner lot are very much desirable since they often offer a premium lot with the lack of an adjoining home on one side of the property.  This often translates to a larger lot size and a huge selling point for buyers looking for a home.

Some of the neighborhoods currently offered for sale include the gated communities of Three Arch Bay, Lagunita and Emerald Bay which command a huge premium in

Dec 18

1,230 Views, 0 Comments

The 2020 year has almost come to an end and it's been a year like no other.  With all the ups and downs to everything that has happened this year the Laguna Beach Real Estate market continued to have a strong pool of buyers who were ready to make a purchase this year.  Although we have seen much higher sales in previous years there were still many homes in Laguna Beach that sold for over $10 million dollars which is amazing considering what 2020 has thrown at us.  There were actually two properties that sold for the exact same amount so we have included the top 4 sales this year.

2661 Victoria Drive was one of the third highest sales that occurred in Laguna Beach this year and was truly an amazing home.  The three level property sold for $12,500,0000

Nov 30

831 Views, 0 Comments

One thing Laguna Beach is well known for having is a great views.  I personally think there is no better beach town in Southern California that can offer the outstanding views that many homes throughout this famous beach town of Laguna Beach.  The views can really be awe inspiring that often times include ocean, Catalina Island and sunset views.  Many local real estate agents like to advertise these homes as offering a 180 degree view.  If you look at the topography of Laguna Beach you will soon quickly realize this is actually true since many of the properties are located on a hillside that offer wonderful panoramic views.  Neighborhoods like Temple Hills are great places to find many of these type homes that command a premium in price due to the large

Oct 27

1,127 Views, 0 Comments

One of the best places to find rental homes in the Laguna Beach area is a neighborhood called Victoria Beach.  This is especially true for those looking for a short term rental as many of the homes are being rented on a monthly basis.  We did a quick search and did find some that were wanting a 12 month lease but the vast majority were looking for lease terms much shorter than that.  Victoria Beach has a unique location that offers beach front and ocean views homes that are within a short distance to the beach.  One of the biggest tourist attractions in this neighborhood is the historic lighthouse that is pictured below that brings a lot of people to this area.  It's also one of the fewest places in Laguna Beach where you will find homes located directly

Sep 29

1,192 Views, 0 Comments

Every year we get a lot of rental requests for those wanting to vacation in the Laguna Beach area during the summer months.  This year was especially busy due to COVID as many of our clients wanted to get out of the current home and stay in a much nicer place while still being in California.  One of the top communities that was most requested was the Three Arch Bay community.  Three Arch Bay is one of the top gated communities in Laguna Beach which is located on the south end of town.  It's one of the few neighborhoods in Laguna Beach that has two different sections to it with two separate guard gates.  Every time I have visited this community the security has been very strict and access is only allowed for owners and their guests.  Many people try to